Let's set a date (and extend it again) [now with edits!]

If you search your memory, you might have recalled there was… some… what was it?

Oh yeah, some dispute over stitching concurrently with bitching. Right.

You’ve probably forgotten by now — I certainly did — that a motion to amend the petition to cancel that trademark, adding new grounds for cancellation, had been filed in April 2006. The response, naturally arguing against the amendment, was filed not long after. Last month, there was a ruling [PDF] on that motion: the amendment was allowed, because it would not prejudice the respondent’s (that’s SFSE’s) rights in the proceeding.

The scheduled event dates in this proceeding were reset as a result. Now, SFSE’s answer to this amended petition to cancel is due on January 11, unless there’s some last-minute federal statutory holiday hocus-pocus I’m not aware of. Discovery is now reset to close on March 17, and all the testimony periods end on September 28.

Unless, of course, there’s more occasion for delay.

In the meantime, of course, Deb Stoller has continued to fulfill her publishing contract, with the crochet and page-a-day calendar released under the SnB name in 2006, while SFSE launched a university, sold chocolates, rocked the online forum world with php (you watch out — they’ll discover blogs next) and… explained once and for all how to go about setting up a Stitch and Bitch™ Knitting Group. In only four steps! Four steps, like the handy guide previously published at stitchnbitch.org [PDF]!

No, no one has prioprietary rights to a method for setting up a knitting group in four steps. However, I think a little comparison might be instructive.

1. Find a place to meet.
2. Set up a mailing list.
3. Pick a day and time.
4. Show up!

On the other hand, SFSE would have you:

1. Find a Suitable venue
2. Choose a Day & Time
3. Spread the Word

and…

4. Register your Knitting Group (at Stitch & Bitch Cafe®, natch).

Um. And?

You know, that’s the funny thing about knitting groups. New ones need a leader for a while before they can flourish on their own. It’s… like…

An online forum.

Yeah, that’s it. You can’t just set up a forum, sit back and say “here’s a place to post all about knitting!” and expect the public to participate, without doing something substantial to make the public want to post there. Otherwise, you just wind up with a long list of U.S. placenames and a small smattering of people asking if there’s anyone out there.

Lesson not learned yet, I guess.

Edited to add: Well, this needs to be amended: I’m not right to blame SFSE for innovative failure to note that one must show up to one’s own stitch ‘n bitch, because the correct source for their handy-dandy 4-point guide to setting up your own legally!sanctioned!knitting!group! isn’t the stitchnbitch.org guide. Not directly, anyway. Take a look at this and compare.

What does that mean? I am part of the UWS Stitch & Bitch group who has been watching this thing since the beginning. I admire the way girl from auntie has been documenting this whole thing in a witty somewhat unbiased way. I think she is smart. Why not share this info here?

I hear that Debbie Stoller is close to an agreement with SFSE people. Lets hope this all ends soon. Meanwhile there is rumor that SFSE is launching more product. I actually stopped in the other day and spoke with a lady that works there and heard they were making more products to be released later this year. My question is who is buying?

‘Dicks with Sticks and Men with Balls – Size does matter.’ (Stitch & Bitch Cafe®’s invitation to their ‘Men Knit Too’ forum)… another lesson not learned? ick. i see knitting men are just posting like mad in there…